In his Life of Giorgione Vasari comments on Giorgione 's work on the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, work of a kind which Vasari found difficult to understand:
In the year 1504, a terrible fire broke out in Venice in the Fondaco dei Tedeschi near the Rialto Bridge which destroyed everything, including the merchandise and inflicted great losses on the merchants. The Signoria of Venice ordered it to be rebuilt, and it was done very quickly with more comfortable accommodation, as well as greater magnificence, decoration and beauty, and, since Giorgione's fame had grown, those in charge of the project deliberated and arranged for Giorgione to colour it in fresco according to his own wishes, provided that he demonstrate his talent by producing an exemplary work, since it would have the most beautiful position and location in that city. And so setting to work, Giorgione thought of nothing other than to paint figures after his own fantasy in order to demonstrate his talent; and, in truth, there are no historical scenes which have any special order or which represent the deeds of any distinguished person, either ancient or modern; and, as for me, I have never understood his figures, not have I ever, with my questioning, found anyone who did, for here is a woman, there a man in different poses; one figure stands near the head of a lion, another with an angel in the guise of Cupid, and you cannot tell what it means. Directly over the main door opening into the Merzeria is a woman seated, who, like a figure of Judith' has the head of a dead giant at her feet, and who is lifting the head with her sword and speaking to a German below her. I have been unable to explain why Giorgione created this figure, unless he wanted her to represent Germania. None the less one can clearly see that his figures are well grouped and that he always continued to improve his work, for there are heads and parts of figures that are extremely well executed and coloured in the most lively fashion. And everything that he did there Giorgione took pains to copy only from living things rather than imitating another style. This building is celebrated in Venice and famous no less for what Giorgione painted there than for its convenience to businesses and its usefulness to the public.( Vasari, Le Vite ,Testo IV.44, Life of Giorgione da Castelfranco)
However, Vasari's attribution of the work to Giorgione does not give a clear basis for distinguishing between his contribution and that of Titian. Valcanover in Biadene and Yakush, Titian: Prince of Painters, Venice: Palazzo Ducale, pages 135 - 140 gives an account of remnants which have been detached and rescued, and quotes Milesio's description of the frescoes in 1715.